Oven for gas ranges



y 22, 1941- c. H. HOFFSTETTE R v 2,249,733

I QVEN'FOR GAS RANGES I Filed Jan. 8, 1940' a I Z4 10 5 z i 27 i E i l61 5 5 9 l 7 I 14 34 1o 27 2a 53 L B Q Z6 '1 2a 2? mmvroa ATTORNEYS.

Paten'ted July 22, 1941 1 I UNITE. STATES PAT ENT err-cs OVEN FOR GASRANGES "Carl Hofistetter, Erie, Pa. Application January 8, 1940, SerialNo. 312,993

3 Claims.

My invention relates to ovens for gas ranges and the like.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an oven door withspring tensioning means adapted to efficiently resist the opening of thedoor.

A further object is to provide an oven door and tensioning meanstherefor which can be easily assembled and disassembled and in which thetensioning spring is located outside the heat zone and, shielded fromthe intense heat developed by gas fires.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be understood as thespecification is considered in connection with the accompanying drawing,in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary top sectional view of the oven portion of atable top type of gas range showing the positions assumed by the tensionsprings when the doors of the left and right oven compartments are openand closed respectively.

Figure 2 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1showing a hinge connection between the left hand oven door and thespring tensioning means, the door being in open position; and

Figure 3 is a detail view of the hinge connection between the right handdoor and the spring tensioning means, the door being in closed position.

Referring more particularly to the drawing 1 denotes a gas rangecomprising an oven compartment 2 and a utensil or other similarcompartment 3, arranged in side by side relation. These compartments, inthe embodiment illustrated herein, are identical in size andrespectively provided with so called drop doors 4 and 5. The left handcompartment 3 is preferably used to house pots and pans but, like ovencompartment 2, may also serve as a broiler or baking oven. Likewise, itis obvious that the relative position of the compartments could bereversed,

Oven compartment 2 is formed with a front frame 6, having the usual dooropening, side walls 1 and rear wall 8, and compartment 3 has a similarframe member 9 and walls I!) and H respectively. Secured to the bottomedge of front frame 6 of compartment 2 are a pair of brackets 3| whichare pivotally connected to pins l2 mounted in opposite corners of thelower edge of the door 2. Similar brackets 13 and pins l4 serve tohingedly mount the door 5 on the front frame 9.

Spring tensionin g i'lleans adapted to resist opening of the doors 4 and5 comprise coil expansion springs 15 and I6 respectively substantiallyarranged within a pair of U-shaped housings 28 and 29 secured to therear faces of the respective rear walls 8 and H, of compartments 2 and 3and extending substantially across said rear walls. These springs areconnected to the respective doors so as to resist opening movement ofthe latter. Thus, chains ll passing over pulleys H and fixed at one endto opposite ends of the spring 15 are adjustably hooked at their otherends to the rear end of connecting rods I9. The forward ends of theserods 19 are pivotally attached to the heads 20 of a pair ofsubstantially T-shaped brackets or arms 21 in turn pivotally connectedwith the door 4 as at 22. Chains 23, passing over pulleys 23, connectthe spring l6 to rods 2 1, the latter being pivotally connected at theirforward ends to bracket arms 25, carried by the door 5 and similar inconstruction and mounting to the arms 2 I, previously described.

The springs I5 and I6 and their associated parts can be easily assembledor as easily removed for inspection or other purposes, and due to theirlocation entirely outside the range, remote from the heat zones, dangerof deterioration as the result of overheating is eliminated. Furthermoreit will be noted from an inspection of Figure 1 of the drawing that thesprings l5 and IE will be relaxed or released when their respectivedoors are closed and that they will be expanded or under tension whenthe latter are open. Consequently the springs are only under load at atime when the heat is escaping from the oven in a direction away fromthe springs and when the latter are subjected to a minimum amount ofheat radiating from the back wall of the oven thus further adding to thelife of the springs.

The hooked portions 26 and 21 formed on the rear ends of the connectingrods 19 and 24, cooperate with the links of the chains I! and. 23 to avery desirable range of adjustment to enable the manufacturer tocompensate for doors of varying weights. This adjustability is, in fact,necessary so that the tension of the springs can be regulated toaccommodate a heavier or lighter door, as the case may be. This alsopermits of necessary initial connection, subject to possible adjustmentfrom time to time as the springs become old, so that the door willremain poised at a certain point in its pivotal movement and will dropand remain open when moved therebelow and when raised beyond that pointin closing, permit of the spring naturally carrying the door to closedposition. Obviously when the ends 26 and 21 of the connecting rods Hand24 are hooked to links closer to or further away from the ends of thesprings l5 and IS the tension of the latter will be increased ordecreased according to the nature of the adjustment.

While I have shown my invention incorporated in a range having two doorsit will be understood it is applicable to ranges having but one door.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. An oven having side and rear walls and a front frame, a door pivotedto said front frame, a housing mounted on the rear wall of said oven,

a coil spring mounted in said housing, and flexible means connecting theends of said spring to said door for aiding the closing of said door.

2. An oven having a front door frame,-a door swingably mounted on saidframe, a coil spring mounted at the rear of and outside the oven, chainsconnected to opposite ends of the spring, and connecting rods adjustablyconnected at one end to a link of the respective chains and at theirother end pivotally connected to said door for aiding the closing of thedoor.

3. An oven having side and rear walls and a front door frame with dooropening therein, a door swingably mounted on said frame, a housing onthe outer face of the rear wall of said oven, a coil spring in saidhousing, chains connected at their rear ends to opposite ends of saidspring, anti-friction guide means for said chains, connecting rodshaving rear hooked ends for adjustable connection with the links of saidchains and means for pivotally connecting the other ends of said rods tosaid door for aiding the closing of the door.

CARL H. HOFFS'IE'I'IER.

